Jeni's - Mango Cheesecake Swirl

Mango Cheesecake Swirl - New York-Style Cheesecake Ice Cream with a Mango Swirl

 

I return to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream today for the next flavor in my recent shipment of the Ice Cream Trunk Collection.  This flavor is called Mango Cheesecake Swirl.  This is a cheesecake ice cream with a mango swirl.  I have had several mango flavors, but each was as the base flavor.  This is the first time that I have had the mango delivered in a swirl.  We'll see how this one is different.

Removing the lid and peeling back the protective seal, I see the mango swirl right away on the top.  I like it when they have good top-of-the-pint presentation of the swirl like this.  The cheesecake ice cream has a very white color.  Digging in, I taste the mango swirl right away.  It's pretty good.  The cheesecake base offsets it a bit, but there is still plenty of mango flavor in the mix.  The cheesecake base is perhaps thicker than the usual sweet cream or vanilla base, but it does not have that specific 'cheesecake' flavor.  The cream cheese just provides thickness.

I liked this flavor quite a bit.  Delivering the flavor of mango in a swirl is a very good idea and it provides an alternative for those who like mango but feel that full mango bases are a bit too much.  Enjoy.

 

McConnell's - Banana Peanut Butter & Chocolate

Banana Peanut Butter & Chocolate - Banana Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Ribbons and Chocolate Chips

 

Today's flavor is the second in my recent four-pint shipment from the Santa-Barbara-based McConnell's Ice Cream.  This flavor is called Banana Peanut Butter & Chocolate.  I bought it online and I am not aware of any Minnesota grocery stores that stock McConnell's.  Today's flavor is an interesting flavor combination.  There's lots of banana/chocolate combinations and lots of peanut butter banana combinations, but for all three I only find Häagen-Dazs' Banana Peanut Butter Chip and a non-dairy flavor from Milkjam Creamery called PB vs Everybody.  Let's see how this compares.

Removing the lid, the banana base has the expected light yellow color and I can see lots of small pieces of both peanut butter and chocolate.  The small pieces of peanut butter look "chip sized".  Digging in, I actually taste the peanut butter first -- that's how well done these peanut butter chunks are.  The banana forms a background flavor which is quite appealing and I chocolate flavor is released when I bite into each of those chips.

This is a well-done implementation of a banana, peanut butter and chocolate flavor from McConnell's.  Compared to the two flavors above, this is very close to the Häagen-Dazs flavor which I also liked.  If I had to pick a favorite of the two, I would probably pick McConnell's, but that said, McConnell's is also more expensive and harder to find.  If you are like Elvis and love the banana and peanut butter flavor combination (and you have access to McConnell's) then give this flavor a try.

 

 

Jeni's - Orange Freeze

Orange Freeze - Juicy Blood Orange, Tart Orange Juice and Coconut Cream

The next flavor from the Ice Cream Truck Collection from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is called Orange Freeze.  I bought it online and I am not aware that it is available in local grocery stores.  This is a non-dairy flavor that uses a blend of blood orange and orange juice into a coconut cream.  This looks good.  I am curious as to how the orange will blend in with the coconut cream.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the top of the pint shows a pale orange section and a white section.  it looks like there is both an orange section and a plain coconut cream section which are marbled together.  Digging in, the orange flavor is quite good.  Without reading the carton first, I would not have guessed that it was a blood orange/regular orange blend but it is a delicious orange flavor.  The balance between sweet and tart is well done.  The coconut cream only sections are also quite good and go surprisingly well with the orange.  I have written before how Jeni's has a good coconut cream.  The coconut flavor is fairly mild and stays in the background.  The orange flavor is the star here.

This is a very delicious non-dairy orange cream flavor from Jeni's.  It reminds me a lot of their Orange Blossom Chiffon flavor from last year -- both have a very appealing light orange flavor.  The key differences are that last year's flavor was dairy and homogenous, while this years flavor is non-dairy and marbled with plain coconut cream.

 

 

McConnell's - Seavees Sprinkled with Pride

Seavees Sprinkled with Pride - Strawberry Ice Cream with Shortcake Pieces, Strawberry Jam and Rainbow Sprinkles

I made an online order from Santa Barbara's McConnell's Ice Cream!  It has been a while, but I was surfing the web for ice cream one day and found that they had enough new flavors for me to purchase a shipment.  The first flavor is called Seavees Sprinkled with Pride.  

Seavees is a shoe company which like McConnell's is also based in Santa Barbara.  It has an interesting history.  It started in the 1960s as a casual sneaker company, first as a subsidiary of BF Goodrich and then as a subsidiary of Converse.  In the early 1970s, a court ruled that Converse controlled too much of the sneaker market to also own Seavees, so Converse discontinued the brand.  Fast-Forward to 2008 and the brand is relaunched -- this time as an independent company.  They've teamed up with McConnell's to sponsor this LGBTQIA+ themed flavor with 5% of the proceeds going to the Pacific Pride Foundation.  

What is in the flavor?  It's a strawberry ice cream with shortcake pieces, a swirl of strawberry jam and rainbow sprinkles.  I have had strawberry shortcake-themed pints before from Ben & Jerry's (limited batch no longer available), Tillamook and Talenti Layers.  This is the first with sprinkles, but sprinkles are mainly a cosmetic addition so it should still be easy to compare.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid and peeling back the foil, I see the pink color of the strawberry base and lots sprinkles.  Digging in, the strawberry ice cream is very good.  McConnell's has just about the densest ice cream around while still being cream-based.  The swirls of jam add additional strawberry flavor.  I worried a bit that the jam might be frozen it softens up very quickly in my mouth the shortcake pieces are scattered throughout the pint.  The spoon cuts through them very easily, they provide a little bit of a change in texture as I eat it.  The pieces are not as gritty in texture as the ones in their Earl Grey & Shortbread Cookies flavor, so it does appear that this is a different mix-in.  The difference between shortbread cookie and shortcake I suppose.  The sprinkles are a nice visual touch.  I notice that some of the sprinkles have a darker color than I expected.  I checked the ingredient list and sure enough some of them are chocolate sprinkles.  I don't find that sprinkles add much flavor but your palate may be more sensitive than mine.

This is an excellent strawberry shortcake themed pint from McConnell's.  I love the thickness of McConnell's Ice Cream and the two strawberry flavors (base and swirl) are delicious.  Compared to the other strawberry shortcake implementations linked above, I liked the flavor of this the best which says a lot because I really enjoyed the Talenti and Tillamook flavors as well.  If McConnell's is available near you, check this out.

 

 

 

 

Jeni's - Rocket Pop

Rocket Pop - Blueberry and Pineapple swirled into a Buttermilk Yogurt Ice Cream Base

 

As discussed in a previous review, I have recently made an online purchase from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio.  The previous review was for a standalone limited batch flavor called Wedding Cake.  The rest of the shipment comprises what they are calling the Ice Cream Truck collection.  Today's flavor is called Rocket Pop which I believe is based on the old Bomb Pop or Firecracker popsicles that you would get from ice cream trucks.  Those tricolored popsicles were flavored with cherry, blue raspberry and some sort of white lemon-lime.  Here Jeni's uses two colors.   Blueberry and pineapple ice creams are swirled together and each ice cream is made with buttermilk and yogurt.  I don't think I have had this flavor combination before.  Sounds very interesting.

Removing the lid and peeling back the protective seal, I see both ice creams right away.  The blueberry has an amazing blue color.  Then the pineapple has a light yellow color to it.  This blue is incredible.  I know Jeni's does not use artificial colors, so I was curious as to how they created this.  The ingredients list spirulina which is a natural blue-green algae.  Jeni's also uses spirulina to create the green color of their Green Mint Chip flavor.  A quick google search tells me that spirulina also comes in blue.  Moving on, I taste the pineapple flavor first.  The blueberry is not too strong, but if I scoop out a spoonful only from the blue part I can taste it.  In both bases, the buttermilk and the yogurt is not a significant part of the flavor.  Those ingredients were chosen for how well they 'held' the pineapple and blueberry flavors.

This is very fun pint!  These colors are beautiful and the pineapple and blueberry are very refreshing together.  There's pints with more intense pineapple or a more deeper blueberry flavor, but this Rocket Pop flavor puts them together in a very fun and nostalgic way.  Enjoy.

 

 

Sweet Science - Watermelon Lime Sorbet

Watermelon Lime Sorbet - Watermelon Lime Sorbet

 

It has been a while since I have reviewed a pint from Sweet Science, so I was happy to see a new flavor from them which I have not yet tried.  Today's flavor is a Watermelon Lime Sorbet.  A lot has happened since I last reviewed this brand.  First, they no longer have a scoop shop in the Keg & Case Market in Saint Paul.  They have since re-opened in Edina inside the Nolan Mains project near 50th and France.  As a Saint Paul resident, I am a bit bummed because Keg & Case was so convenient, but they are still stocked at places like Kowalski's, Whole Foods and many local co-ops.  Plus, I have have been told that the Golden Fig market on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul (near Avon) has a very good selection that includes the monthly specials.  I bought this pint at Golden Fig.  I have had watermelon sorbet once before from Graeter's (there blended with lemon instead of lime).  It'll be fun to see how this compares.

Removing the lid, the watermelon base has a light pink color -- a bit lighter in color than I expected.  Digging in, the watermelon flavor is very refreshing and delicious.  The flavor is a bit on the mild side, but so is the flavor of a slice of watermelon.  I do notice the lime a bit, but only a twist of it.

This is a very refreshing and delicious watermelon sorbet from Sweet Science.  It is not as strong as that of the Graeter's pint I had a couple of summers ago, but I like the flavor here a bit better.  Watermelon fans and fruit sorbet fans will love having this on a hot summer day.

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Roasted Vanilla

Roasted Vanilla - Roasted Vanilla Bean Custard

 

Today's flavor is the last of Milkjam Creamery's "American Classics" series for June (instagram link here).  This flavor is Roasted Vanilla (instagram link here).  You don't get any more classic than that.  I have written before about how vanilla is not "plain" -- plain ice cream is called "sweet cream".  I've also written that vanilla's flavor comes from the bean of an orchid native to Mexico but now commonly grown in places like Madagascar, Indonesia and Tahiti.  Still, the flavor is so familiar and ubiqutious that I usually don't look to review a brand's vanilla flavor first, but I often do get around to it.  Scanning my archives, I find reviews for simple vanilla and/or vanilla bean flavors from Häagen-Dazs, Izzy's, Graeter's, Ben & Jerry's, McConnell's, Talenti, Coolhaus, Sweet Science and Jeni's.   So, this is Milkjam Creamery's implementation of Vanilla.  I am not sure if I have ever had vanilla that was roasted before.  I wonder how much of a difference that will make.

Removing the lid, I see an off-white base -- a little bit of a yellowish tinge to it.  Looking super close, I can spot a few bean specks in the mix but this is not a pint which is super heavy on the bean specks visually.  Digging in, it has the expected vanilla flavor to it.  I do not notice the fact that it is 'roasted' but perhaps I would have to have a side-by-side taste test against other vanillas to pick that out.  It's good vanilla.  The texture is creamy... perhaps even a bit fluffy.  Milkjam is often known for denser almost goopy ice cream in many of their signature flavors but this flavor has the traditional ice cream consistency.  Notice the airy texture in some of the photos.

This is a simple and well-done implementation of a standard vanilla ice cream from Milkjam.  I did not personally notice a strong effect of the vanilla being roasted but perhaps you may.  It is pretty good, but Milkjam is known for having for having bold and unusual flavors so a simple vanilla seems to go against their type.  Maybe that's the point.  Still, my reaction to this is similar to what I said in my recent review of their C.R.E.A.M. sweet cream flavor.  It's good, but their namesake Milkjam flavor fills this part of their ice cream menu in a much bolder and unique way. 

 

 

Jeni's - Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake - Vanilla Cake with Lemon, Blackberries and Buttercream Icing

 

I made on online purchase from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio!  Thankfully, for myself, they have released a bunch of new flavors all at once so I can fill an online purchase without having to pad it with repeat flavors.  For this summer they have released Ice Cream Truck Collection containing five new flavors  (one of them, High Five Candy Bar, was released early to Whole Foods early this summer) the rest of them are not available in local grocery stores.  Today's pint is actually a sixth flavor which was new to me.  It is called Wedding Cake and it is also not available in local grocery stores.  This Wedding Cake features a buttercream-flavored base with vanilla-flavored yellow cake pieces, lemon sauce and blackberry jam.  Sounds very appetizing!

After removing the lid, the extra seal has a nice Lord-of-the-Rings reference on it.  Fun.  Peeling that back, I see a white base ice cream with a thin double-swirl visible.  By double-swirl, I mean that it looks like the blackberry and lemon are back-to-back.  Digging in, the buttercream base has a simple flavor -- like a creamier sweet cream --  but I still find it quite delicious.  Quickly I run into the yellow cake pieces, these are soft and delicious.  The swirls are the star of the show here.  They don't stick out much visually, but these are the types of swirls where a little bit goes a long way.  The blackberry is tastes like a dark berry, of course, and the lemon swirl is quite well done -- it has a great sweet lemon flavor and a bit of a goopy texture which is similar to the filling of a donut.

This is an excellent piece-of-cake pint from Jeni's.  One of the the best of this kind that I have had.  I liked it quite a bit better that their recent Buttercream Birthday Cake flavor.  I cannot compare it directly to most of the other birthday cake pints because it has unique swirls (lemon & blackberry instead of just frosting and sprinkles).  I think it is actually those unique swirls that gives this flavor the edge.  The cake pieces are large enough to be recognizable as pieces are cake and remain soft and fluffy underneath all the ice cream.  Check it out if you can.

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Mint Chip

Mint Chip - Salted Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

Today, I move onto the third flavor in Milkjam Creamery's American Classics series (instagram link here).  It is Mint Chip (instagram link here).  Long time readers may remember that Mint Chip is my favorite flavor, so I am always excited when I can review a new pint of Mint Chip.  Actually, I'm not even 100% sure if this is a new flavor because I did review a flavor from Milkjam a few years ago called True Colors which was basically Mint Chip.  So, this might be breaking my rule of not having a repeat review, but there is a chance that it might be different and of course, I do want my mint chip.  Let's dig in!

Removing the lid, it is a green base with a dense amount of chips.  It does resemble the photos I took in my True Colors review quite a bit.  Digging in, the chips have that crumbly-flakey crunchiness which I like and they deliver quite a bit of chocolate.  The mint tastes a little bit different from last time.  This almost tastes like a mint liqueur.  There's no alcohol in it, but it has a bit of that creme de menthe aftertaste to it which I did not taste last time.  Both the instagram link above and my old True Colors review mention that it is made with large amounts of fresh mint lives rather than a peppermint oil.  This explains the color and it's possible that the liqueur like flavor may very from batch to batch when using fresh mint leaves while you wouldn't get much flavor variation when using a peppermint oil.  Overall, it is good.  I really like mint chip and this hits the spot.

This is a fun implementation of mint chip from Milkjam Creamery.  It's basically the same flavor as their old True Colors flavor but more of an aromatic liqueur-like flavor here than in the previous batch.  I still would probably go with Graeter's and McConnell's for my favorite Mint Chip pints but those are both peppermint-oil implementations and it is fun to see a mint-leaf implementation as a variation.  Enjoy!

 

Dolcezza - Stracciatella

Stracciatella - Sweet Cream Gelato with Stracciatella-style Chocolate Chips

 

Today, I return to the Dolcezza Gelato for their implementation of a Stracciatella flavor (instagram link here).  I have had chocolate Stracciatella once before from Sweet Science with an explanation of what stracciatella is in an earlier review of a white-chocolate stracciatella.  The word is Italian for "little shreds" and was originally used to describe the web-like suspension of an egg-drop soup.  Gelato makers have adopted this term to describe a way of created a web-like suspension of chocolate shreds inside a base gelato.  It is basically an exotic way of saying "chocolate chip".  The earlier Sweet Science pint was excellent, but it had a twist of raspberry flavor in it.  Not that I didn't like the raspberry, but today's flavor might be a simpler implementation.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, there are a lot of chocolate chips visible right away and the base gelato looks very white.  Digging in, the shreds of chocolate are quite good.  They have a crumbly-flakey texture to them and provide a lot of chocolate flavor.  The base is simple and creamy.  They call it a sweet cream, but I checked the ingredients and see that vanilla is included as well.  If it is a vanilla it is not a strong vanilla.

This is a simple and delicious implementation of what is essentially a chocolate chip ice cream.  The chocolate is yummy and the base is clean and simple.  Don't be afraid of the fancy Italian name, this is a good and simple flavor.  Similar flavors that I have tried include Häagen-Dazs, Graeter's, Izzy's, Sweet Science and Jeni's.  Jeni's included cone pieces and Sweet Science contains raspberry, Graeter's has their signature large and chewy chips.  This Dolcezza pint holds up against the others.  This would actually be a good pint to try for those curious about the Dolcezza brand in general.  It was one of their original flavors and is featured on a lot of their social media posts.

 

 

 

Milkjam Creamery - Peanut Butter Moose Tracks

Peanut Butter Moose Tracks - Non-Dairy Peanut Butter Ice Cream with House-Made Peanut Butter Cups and Chococate Peanut Butter Fudge Swirls

 

Today's flavor from the south Minneapolis-based Milkjam Creamery is the second in the American Classics series (instagram link here) and is called Peanut Butter Moose Tracks (instagram link here).  From a previous review, "moose tracks" is what the Michigan-based Denali Ice Cream calls the way they do their chocolate chips.  Here, Milkjam puts their own twist on the flavor.  First, this is a non-dairy/vegan flavor.  It is a peanut butter, almond milk and coconut base.  Next they have house-made peanut butter cups -- not the standard one that other flavors use.  They also have chocolate-peanut butter swirls as an additional mix-in.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the non-dairy peanut butter base has a light beige color to it.  Digging in, I can tell from the texture that is is non-dairy -- it is not quite as soft.  Peanut butter is usually easier to implement as a non-dairy flavor because the peanut butter adds its own creaminess, but I can still tell the difference here.  The flavor is quite good.  It is mostly a peanut butter flavor, the almond and coconut flavors are mainly just accents here.  As I dig down, I encounter some chocolate pieces which are tasty.  Then I encounter some small peanut butter pieces and they are also pretty good.  Then I see what the source of these pieces are -- these really nice house-made chocolate-covered peanut butter "cups".  Unlike the traditional cups, they chocolate layer is a bit thinner and there is no emphasis on requiring that the chocolate completely cover the peanut butter.  That makes for a "cup" with a higher peanut-butter content.  They reminded me a bit of the excellent house-made cups in Ample Hill's PB Wins the Cup flavor which uses the same philosophy of extra peanut butter which is not completely covered in chocolate.  They are delicious.

This is a very well done non-dairy peanut butter and chocolate flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  For non-dairy fans who like peanut butter this is a must.  It is very delicious and these house-made peanut butter cups are excellent.  Dairy fans may quibble a bit with the slightly gritty sorbet-like texture of the base, but the flavor is still good and I would still recommend it for peanut butter fans.